WritersCorps pays another visit to the White House

For the second time in seven months, SF’s award-winning WritersCorps program sent students to the White House, where on Wednesday they participated in a poetry workshop along with 73 other young writers across the country.

The workshop, hosted by Michelle Obama, gave participants the opportunity to get advice and feedback on their craft, from literary figures like former poet laureate Billy Collins.

WritersCorps students were invited because the 17-year-old program, run by the San Francisco Arts Commission and public library, won a 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in October. The first lady presented that award as well.

“It’s a pretty amazing experience to be invited back to the White House,” said program manager Melissa Hung. “We feel very honored to have a president and first lady who are interested in poetry and arts education.”

One student, 17-year-old Raeme Miccio Gavino, said she didn’t get to speak with the first lady personally, but was thrilled to sit two seats away from her. The International Studies Academy senior got feedback on a poem she read aloud.

“Billy Collins said he liked my poem and that it was good,” she said. “It was very valuable for my personal growth as a writer.”

Meeting literary figures has been an integral part of WritersCorps, and many of the 16,000 students who have gone through the program in San Francisco have had the chance to do just that, Luis Cancel, the Arts Commission’s cultural affairs director.

“Throughout the history of the program we have always been able to attract distinguished poets and authors to interact with students,” he said. “This White House attention is just letting a larger audience know what a quality program this is.”